


A Well Kept Secret

by KuHana



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Episode: s02e08 The Stockholm Syndrome Caper, F/M, Fluff and Angst, It's mostly fluff with a side of angst, Side Caper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:40:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28778415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuHana/pseuds/KuHana
Summary: What does Player do when he's not talking to Team Red?
Relationships: Player (Carmen Sandiego 2019) & Original Character(s), Player (Carmen Sandiego 2019)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	A Well Kept Secret

**Author's Note:**

> A quick fic I wrote in-between working on the Tangled and Charmed stories.
> 
> Some quick info on Yua: 
> 
> \- 17 years old  
> \- Singaporean/Russian (speaks both languages constantly)  
> \- Weapon: bo staff (in the form of twin hair sticks)  
> \- Code Name: The Ace (comes from the saying ‘Ace up your sleeve’ = she’s Player’s ace)

“I must be honest,” Yua whispered, dropping down from the vents, landing quietly against the metallic flooring. “I have no idea what I am here for.”

_“It’s a highly advanced motherboard.”_

The teen stuck to the shadows, carefully making her way through the building, keeping one hand flat against the wall, the other hanging limply at her side, ready to reach for a weapon should someone catch her. “Yes… and?”

_“Let me put it this way. If V.I.E.L gets their hands on that chip, we can say_ Zàijiàn _to any future data.”_

“I see.” Yua ducked into a storage closet, eyes narrowed when she heard footsteps pass by, the _click, click, click_ vibrating in her ears. She held her breath and counted down from ten, waiting for the individual to disappear around the corner. 

“Coast clear?”

_“Hang on-- ya, you’re good.”_

Yua nodded and ditched her hiding spot, trusting Player to guide her through the underground maze. She may be a good fighter and thief, her limbs bendable and rubbery, but a navigator she was not. 

_“Take a left.”_

Yua pivoted, dashing under an arch made of old stone. “Odd choice in decor.” 

Player chuckled, his giggles filling her ear. Without thinking, the girl smiled, the corners of her red lips tilted upward. It was funny, but whatever the situation, no matter the danger, Player’s laughter always brightened her spirits, causing something within her chest to flutter. 

“Am I close?”

_“Ya! Just a few more feet and you’re on its doorstep.”_

“Wonderful,” Yua hummed. Easy missions were always a welcomed change. Soon, the teen was standing in front of impossibly tall, metal doors. She gently brushed the tips of her fingers horizontally, wincing when she noticed dust collecting under her nails. 

“Gross. Does no one clean around here?”

_“It's not exactly a necessity. Need a code?”_

Her eyes landed on a glowing padlock. No way was she cracking that without activating some sort of alarm. “Please.” 

_“Right. Hang tight for me.”_

Oh. Well, with an opening like that, Yua just couldn't resist. “I’ll do anything if you ask nicely,” she hummed, breaking face only when she heard Player squeak. 

_“Y-Yua! You can’t say that while I’m working!”_

She snickered into her palm. “What can I say? You make it too easy.” She leaned up against the wall, letting the icy surface seep in through the fabric of her suit, her eyes sliding shut. “... did I make you blush?”

_“Yua!”_

Teeth sunk into her lower lip, fighting back another round of laughter. She was sure his feathers were thoroughly ruffled by now, cheeks the color of fine wine, hands damp with perspiration. 

“Forgive me, _котёнок_.”

She could practically hear his eyes roll. 

_“Ignoring you,”_ Player chimed, clicking a few more buttons on his keyboard. _“Alright. You're in. I disconnected the alarm system. You’ve got approximately five minutes to get in, grab the motherboard, and get out.”_

“I see.” Yua stretched, her long arms reaching high above her head. “May I propose a bet?”

_“I’m listening.”_

“If I get the disk before the two-minute mark, you must do whatever I ask.” She waited, imaging the hacker leaning back, arms crossed, one leg popped over the other, thinking. 

_“And if I win?”_

“I will become your humble servant.” 

_“Humble servant, you say.”_

Yua winked, assuming Player would be able to see, somehow. “Of course,” she asserted, arching her back, popping her spine. “Do we have a deal?”

_“Why not. You’re on-- just, be careful.”_

“I always am, _котёнок_.” 

And with that, Yua pushed the heavy doors open, sprinting into the room with calculated speed. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Hours later, several miles from the warehouse, in a densely populated airport, sat a young teen, her long, raven strands styled into a half up-do. Hairsticks held the twisted bun in place, glittering whenever hit by the sun’s wondering glow. 

Yua gracefully sunk into her chair, the chip tucked away in her pocket, safe and sound. 

“That was fun.”

_“So, you feel like going out again sometime?”_

“Hmm. Depends.”

_“On?”_

“How soon?”

_“Eh. Hard to say. Red is kinda out of commission for now. After what happened in Sweden, she needs her rest.”_

Yua hummed thoughtfully. Player briefed her on the situation not too long ago, shaken that he couldn't have done more for his best friend. He blamed himself, having told Zack to go after his sister instead of Carmen, which, unfortunately, led to her conditions worsening. 

“It’s not your fault,” she reminded. 

_“... your plane is landing soon. It’s about a twenty-seven hours flight. My suggestion? Catch up on your beauty sleep.”_

He was side-stepping again. Yua shook her head, but let it slide. “Very well. See you soon?”

_“Wouldn't miss it for the world.”_

  
  


* * *

  
  


Player didn’t get out much. Between helping Team Red and sending Yua on missions, he didn’t have a lot of time left over for personal activities. Even so, after signing off with Carmen (after making sure she was on track for recovery), Player slipped out of his chair, groaning when his sore muscles twitched. 

He stripped, changing into a long hoodie, skinny jeans, and thick boots, completing the outfit with a large, deep green jacket. 

“Ready to go.” 

Slipping the hood over his hair, keeping the sun off of him, Player pocketed a set of keys and cellphone and slipped out into the outside world. The first thing he noticed? His eyes stung. The second? It was way too hot to be wearing two layers. 

Oh well. Too late to go change now. 

He hopped a train to the airport, thankful for the strong air conditioning. He fished out his phone, passing the time by playing a few games, drowning out the chatter of older folks around him. 

After about an hour’s worth of travel, Player found himself standing in the middle of his local airport, hands in pockets, looking around for a bluenette in obnoxiously pink high heels. One would think it would have been easy to spot the girl when the general population was dressed in suits and earthy browns. 

“Hey.” 

Player jumped, feeling someone’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Yua snickered. “I saw you just standing there, not paying attention, and… well, the opportunity simply wrote itself.” 

“Ya, ya.” Player brushed his jacket down, cheeks red. When he finally got a good look at his friend, he felt his throat close up. It’d been almost a year since their last in-person interaction, and wow, Yua changed. 

She was taller, her hair reaching just below her knees, glowing blue under the fluorescent lights. Her lips were painted red, eyes soft, slender fingers wrapped about the handlebar of her luggage bag. As predicted, Yua had on pink heels and a boba shirt, the ends tucked into the waistband of her dark skirt. 

His blush intensified. “H-hey. Long time, no see.”

Yua hummed. “Yes. We really must change that. Facetime just doesn't carry the same magic this does.” 

Well, he wouldn't have put it that way (magic?) but ya. Player nodded, clearing his throat. “So, my place?”

“Where else?” She slipped her free hand around his arm, once again letting the shorter boy lead her, trusting his navigation completely. 

The notion didn’t go unnoticed by Player. He didn’t say anything, it wasn’t something that needed to be addressed, but he appreciated it. Appreciated Yua’s confidence in his skills, both inside the computer and out. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Yua won the bet. She forced Player to sleep more.
> 
> (The outfit Player wore outside came from early concept art for his character)


End file.
